Marin DA's gun buyback honors Martin Luther King Jr. on Tuesday

Marin County District Attorney Ed Berberian is launching a $40,000 gun buyback program across Marin on Tuesday, saying that cashing in firearms is a fitting tribute on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

Berberian, noting the program and others like it across the nation come in the wake of the horrific slaughter of 20 children and six educators at a Connecticut elementary school, called it a time for Marin residents to "take one small step that empowers the average individual with the ability to do something."

"Too many guns are simply sitting in garages, closets, drawers and who knows where else," Berberian said, and the buyback program gives owners an opportunity to "take a step to reduce the total number of these weapons" by cashing them in.

Tuesday "is a day our nation honors a man of nonviolence" who was murdered in "an act of senseless gun violence," Berberian noted. "On that day an opportunity is provided for individual members of our community to take a positive step that demonstrates our commitment to nonviolence."

No questions will be asked of those who turn in unloaded but operable semi-automatic weapons for $200, and other firearms for $100. Documentation indicating that those surrendering firearms are residents of Marin, San Francisco, Contra Costa or Sonoma counties will be required, but "no police investigative report will be opened or generated," the district attorney said.

Those who turn in violent video games will get $5 or $10 — if money is available. Video games such as "Grand Theft Auto," "Blacks Ops" and "Halo 4" "desensitize participants to what it means to take a life," Berberian said.

Surrender locations will be open from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. Tuesday at police stations in Novato, San Rafael, Larkspur and Point Reyes Station and at St. Andrew's Church in Marin City. Firearms also will be collected Jan. 21 at the San Rafael Police Department and the Mill Valley Police Department.

Citizens have mailed in checks totaling about $10,000, the county contributed $10,000, and a total of $20,000 was allocated by two trusts maintained by the Marin Community Foundation.

Among many private donations to the program is $250 from the Tiburon Police Officers Association, which asked all law enforcement associations to get involved.

"We know that though Tiburon does not suffer from a gun problem, Tiburon is a huge part of the Marin County community and wants to help," said Officer Justin Kurland.

Tiburon will accept firearms turned in by citizens at any time "with no questions asked," though it cannot offer cash, Kurland added.